Christ you can do nothing Yet there be men saith an ancient vnthankefull to Grace ascribing much to poore and wounded Nature It is true that man when hee was created receiued great strength of free will but by sinning he lost it Saint Augustine cited by Doctor Fulke propoundeth this question Rhem pag. 206. May not that part of mankinde to which God hath promised deliuerance and an eternall kingdome bee repaired by the merit of their owne workes God forbid for what good can he worke that is lost or cast away except he be deliuered from perâ—â—tion What by freewill God forbid that also For man vsing free will amisse lost himselfe and it also For as he that killeth himselfe doth it while he liueth but in killing himselfe liueth not neither can hee reuiue himselfe when he hath slaine himselfe So when man sinned by free will sinne got the victory and free will was lost For of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome to him hee is addicted or bound as a slaue Rom. 6. What liberty then can there be of him that is a bond-slaue but when he delighteth in sinne For he serueth freely that doth his maisters will gladly And by this he is free to commit sinne which is a slaue to sinne but to do iustly he shall not be free except he being deliuered from sinne beginne to be the seruant of righteousnesse That is true liberty for the ioy of well doing and a godly bondage to the obedience of the commandements But whence shall a man that is bound and sold haue this liberty Except Christ doth redeeme him whose saying that is Iohn 8. If the Sonne shall make you free then are you free indeed which thing before it begin to be wrought in man how can any man boast of free will in a good worke which yet is not free to worke well except he extol himselfe being puffed vp with vaine pride which the Apostle beateth downe when he saith You are saued by grace through faith Neither doth man when hee is made free by Christ make himselfe euery day more honorable then other vntill he come to be more pretious then fine gold Rem 9.23 Phil. 2.23 ye aboue the wedges of the gold of Ophir For this is a worke peculiar to Gods Spirit that worketh in vs the will and the deed according to his good pleasure We will saith Saint Augustine but it is God that worketh in vs to will we worke but it is God that worketh in vs according to his good pleasure This is behouefull for vs to speake This is a godly and true doctrine that our confession may be humbled and lowly and that God may haue the whole We liue in more safety if wee giue all vnto God rather when wee commit our selues partly to our selues and partly to him For as it is God that first worketh a new recreation in the minde through a heauenly illumination and a holy will by creating holinesse in the will so it is the same God that causeth the light of the one to increase and the holinesse of the other to abound Concerning which spirituall beatitude Saint Iohn teacheth most excellently when he saith That life was in God from the beginning Ioh. 1.4.5 and that life was the light of mâ—n that this light shineth in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not It was the speciall reuelation of the Father that Peter knew Christ And it was the exceeding mighty and powerfull worke of Christs Spirit Ioh. 2.20 that Saul afterward called Paul did preach Christ not directed by any fleshly or humane Spirit but by the Spirit of Christ by which he did liue in him That we liue well that we vnderstand aright we haue it of God of our selues we haue nothing saith Saint Augustine cited by Bishop Iewel From this want ariseth the paiers of holy men Dauid beseecheth God to create a cleane hart in him And Salomon saith Let him incline our hearts vnto himselfe that we may keepe his commandements These holy Patâ—â—â—â—ke did not thinke as ambitious Popish Priests dâ—e that they had power in themselues to make themselues cleane and to purge their owne hearts aâ— the Rhems teacheth By this which hath bene said we may see more cleare then the light that the will of man doth not co-operate with the Spirit of God in his recreation no more then Adam in his creation For the vnderstanding seeth no further then the Spirit of God inlightneth it which is but in part in this world no more then a man carrying a candle into a large gallery garnished on euery side with variety of curious workes seeth no more then that the light of the candle maketh apparent Psa 18.28 Surely saith Dauid thou wilt light my candle the Lord my God will lighten my darknesse Againe send thy light and thy truth let them leade me let them bring me into thy holy mountaine and to thy tabernacle Neither doth the will in any thing obey the Lords command more then it is effectually moued thereunto by Gods Spirit As it doth appeare in Ionas Ionah 1.3 who being commanded by the Lord to go to Niniuah that great citty and cry out against it rose vp to fly to Tharshish froÌ„ the presence of the Lord. But more apparant in the saying of Paul Rom. 7.23 For I delight saith hee in the law of God concerning the inward man But I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading one captiue vnto the law of sin which is in my members But Kellison saith Suruey pag. 144. If we co-operate not with God by our own free wil In vain do we pray that his will be done vpon the earth But to this we answer if we doe co-operate with God then our will shall bee done as well as Gods will 1. Cor. 25.28 Phil 4.6 Ibid. 2.13 And so God shall neuer be all in all in vs that we may bee wholly gouerned by his holy Spirit which is plaine opposite to truth and most dishonourable to Christ For if Christ should not wholly gouerne vs by his Spirit At the day of resurrection when our bodies shall rise Spirituall bodies that is wholly to be gouerned by his holy Spirit which now they are but in part then there would remaine a will in vs as now there doth cooperating against and not with the Spirit of God euen the will which the Apostle complaineth of when hee cryeth out Rom. 7. Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Euen from the law of my minde which leadeth me captiue vnto the law of sinne So also should Christs body that is his Church be imperfect the good worke of the Spirit of God vnfinished Eph. 1.23 and the fulnesse of Christ thereby extinguished For as by his gratious dispensation he is head of his Church hee is not full without his body But what should we speake further of the worke of Gods Spirit to those
holy spirit in the wil or a holy wil enabled through the effectuall working of the same Spirit to bring forth a holy action agreeable to the will of God according as the Apostle teacheth For this is the will of God euen your sanctification The which actions of the will are two-fold namely an inclinatâ—on to good and a turning aside from euill proceeding from the will iudged and councelled by reason For the will hath no light of it selfe but is lightened by the minde that is by reason and iudgment grounded vpon the word by which it is councelled directed and admonished not violently ruled For as God will haue his image shine in the minde of man by vnderstanding and wisedome of which he hath made it partaker through the instrumental meanes of his word so he will haue his image also to shine in the will by that freedome and liberty which he hath giuen or doth giue vnto it by an effectuall working To the end he may haue the will franke and free because we are to be children and not slaues insomuch that it is in the choise of the wil to propound what it purposeth to the minde and afterward in the liberty of the will to effect it at his pleasure Here might we speake of the internal sences ioyned with the spirit to know and of the heart ioyned with the will and affections and withall how the Spirit of God sitteth in the soule of man by an effectuall working as at the sterne causing euery faculty of the soule and euery moueable member of the body to moue in a sweete and delectable order yea with such sweetnesse as if they were all instruments and consorts of musicke made by the hands of cunning harpers But thus much shall suffice to proue that the Preachers of this Monarch teaching as well an inherent righteousnesse as an imputatiue as well the buds the flowers and the fruit as the roote giue no leaue to faithfull men to commit sinne as the Iesuits and Popish Priests do to their faithlesse men in teaching neither an inherent nor an imputatiue righteousnesse That they teach no imputatiue righteousnesse we neâ—de not to stand to proue for they stile such a sâ—â—th â—ut a lying faith â—nâ— an idle apprehension of Christs â—â—sâ—iâ—â— Mâ—â—reâ—ver the dâ—fâ—â—ttion of their owne faith aueâ—â—â—th as much Which is only a hope well corroboratâ—â— conâ—â—â—â—â— and so â—ngthened vpon the promises and graces of God and the parties merit and not in the full assurance of vnderstanding Iâ—h â— â—â— â— 2 2. to know the mysteries of God â—â—â—n the Father and of Christ That they teach no inherent righteousnesse it shal appeare in the progresse of that we are to intreate of But first we are to consider that they suppose that the power through the which they are to be repaired consisteth in the co-operation of their owne will Rom. 9. an A man may cleanse himselfe saith the Annotations vpon the Rhems from the filthy and so become a vessell of honour in the house of God Whereas the Scripture teacheth that God that he might declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy hath prepared them to glory and not left them to their owne preparation Againe they say Iam. 4. an a man hath power to make himselfe cleane and purge his owne heart Rom. 9. Act. 15.9 2. Tim. 2. annot when it is written He put no difference betweene vs and them after that by faith hee had purified their hearts By which place it appeareth that our hearts are purified by faith which is the gift of God and not by our wils Againe to be a good tree Matth. 12. marg to bring forth good fruit which none can be vntil he is vnited to Christ as our Sauiour testifieth which vnion is not obtained but through the Spirit of God and faith That part of mankinde saith S. Augustine cited by D. Fulke to which God hath promised deliuerance and an eternall kingdome may it not be repaired by the merits of their owne workes God fâ—rbid For what good can hee worke that is lost or cast away except hee bee deliuered from perdition What by free will God forbid that also for man vsing free will amisse lost himselfe and it also for as he that killeth himselfe killeth himselfe while he liueth but in killing himselfe liueth not neither can reuiue himselfe when he hath slaine himselfe So when man sinned by free will sinne got the victory and free will was lost for of whomsoeuer a man be ouercome to him he is addicted or bound as a slaue This truly is the sentence of Peter the Apostle which seeing it is true I pray you what liberty can be of him that is a bond-slaue but when he delighteth in sinne For he serueth freely that doth his maisters will gladly and by this he is free to commit sin but to do iustly he shall not be free except he being deliuered from sinne begin to be a seruant of righteousnesse That is true liberty for the ioy of weldoing and a godly bondage to the obedience of the commandements But whence shall a man that is sold and bound haue this free will and liberty except he do redeeme him whose Image he is If the Sonne shall make you free then are you free indeed which thing before it begin to be wrought in man how can any man boast of freewill in a good worke which yet is not free to worke well except hee extoll himselfe being puffed vp with vaine pride which the Apostle beateth downe when hee saith Yee are saued by grace through saith Thus it appeareth that the conuersion of man in not in his owne power but in Gods As they do thus most iniuriously deny the power by which we are repaired so they do also barre the Laiety and common people of the instrumentall meanes namely the Scriptures appointed of God to the repairing of Gods Image in them Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me O but what followeth a lamentation of our Sauiour saying But you will not come to me that you might haue life Chrysostome exhorting all men to seeke life in the Scriptures thus saith Let one of you take the holy booke and let him call his neighbours about him and by the heauenly words let him water and refresh both their minds and also his owne Againe euen when we be at home let vs bestow our time in reading the Scriptures Againe it cannot possible be I say it cannot possible be that any man can attaine to saluation vnlesse he be continuall conuersant in the Scriptures The Popish Priests notwithstanding contrary to our Sauiours command and Chrysostomes exhortation hath shut vp the Scriptures in an vnknowne tongue and locked them vp with the powerfull key of the bloudy Inquisition that their people may neither reade or meditate thereon sending them ouer to images which Pope Gregory
and seeking battile Speaking peace in their petitions to the Kings maiesty and seeking battaile in their gun-powder treason But the Church standeth Frustra circumlatrantibus hereticis The heretickes in vaine barking about it Gentle Readers thus you may behold the Angels of light teaching as well an inherent as an imputatiue righteousnesse not to giue leaue to sinne whereas the Angels of darknesse teaching neither leade the way to all idolatry OPPOS 9. In vaine the faithfull man praieth for iustification or remission of sinnes because before he praieth his sinnes are forgiuen him and he is iustified or else his full assured faith is a lying and deceiptfull saith Suruâ—y of the nâ—â— Râ—ligion pag 458. THe Protestants saith this Popish Iesuite pray in vaine but the Papists wee may say pray vainly who thinke to wash away their sinnes by praier Heb. â— 2â— Pag. 4â—3 annot 4â—â— which cannot bee remitted without bloud Otherwise Kellison knoweth no reason why we should weare our hâ—se out in the knees with praying if praier neither sâ—nctifieth for sin nâ—â— meriteth any thing at Gods hands truly if we weare our hose out in the knees weâ— loose more then we get if this doctrine be true This is the supreme honour called by them Latria that this hereticke giueth to God that asketh in the ambition of his owne heart Who is the Almighty that we should serue him Iob. 21. or what profite should we haue if wee should pray vnto him vnlesse by our prayers we may wash away our sins But by what praier By those that are more odious then profitable and not so profitable as odious For though they begin in many of their praiers with Omnipotens sempeterne Deus Act. 17.28 and end with Per Dominum Iesum Christum yet nothing is placed in the middle part but Saints and the merits of Saints to make their prayers meritorious being filled so full of merit But what Saints Such for the most part that haue bene canonized not by God but by Popes As S. Francis made a Saint by Gregory the ninth and Thomas Becket by Pope Alexander the third For none by the decree of the said Alexander are to bee taken for Saints but such are canonized and admitted by the Bishop of Romes Bull. The merits of Saints so canonized are in their prayers offered as an vnlawfull composition for the remission of sinnes not vpon the golden Altar as the righteousnesse of Christ but vpon the stinking Altar of mens nature as the merits of men Iohn 16. marg 1 yet they suppose they are made in Christs name because their praiers made to Saints are concluded with Per Christum Dominum nostruÌ„ meum as the margent note vpon the Rhemes testifieth But for breuity we will speake no further of the praiers of these faithlesse men that denying the sufficiency of Christs passion seeke their saluation in them by saying them vpon beads by number that they may know at least thereby how many they say though they vnderstand not what they say But leauing them to their beads I will turne my pen to maintaine the praiers of the faithfull man whose prayers Kellison saith are vaine because hee is assured of his saluation Will Kellison say that S. Iohn the beloued Desciple of the Lord that leaned vpoÌ„ his breast vnto whom he bequeathed in his last will his mother a virgin to a virgin was not assured of his saluation If he say hee was not the testimony of Saint Iohn will confute him wherein it is written 1. Iohn 3.14 We know that we are translated from death to life Or that Peter did not beleeue the remission of sinnes 1. Pet. 3 18. whose confession is that Christ once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God Or that the Apostles in generall did not beleeue the remission of sinnes when the Creed of the Apostles doth testifie they did Yet Christ taught them to desire not once but alwaies when they prayed forgiuenesse of sinnes by these words Forgiue vs our debts Mat. 6.12 not that the punishment due to sin was not forgiuen them for then Saint Iohn would not haue said We know that we are translated from death to life But that through the increase of faith they might more and more inwardly feele the application of the forgiuenesse of sins Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15 17. Phil. 3.13 who proueth by the resurrection of Christ the actuall remission of sinnes which could not be If Christ be not raised as he saith your faith is in vaine and ye are yet in your sinnes Afterward saith I count not my selfe that I haue attained vnto it namely in the 9. and 10. verses before to the full knowledge of Christ and perfect taste of his resurrection Now if an Apostle wrapped vp in the third heauen a pen man of the holy Ghost could not attaine to a full and perfect tast of his saluation how much lesse those whose faith is but as a graine of mustard seede yet sufficient to saluation attaine to the full taste of the application of the forgiuenesse of sinnes without much praier The man that beleeued in Christ desired of him to helpe his vnbeliefe and many a poore soules conscience cast downe yet the children of God would be glad to pray day and night to finde but one dram of this application that Popish Priests will not weare their hose out in the knees for Secondly Tim. Eph. Isa God who hath shewed mercy vnto the faithfull man not that he was but that he should be faithfull and hath selected him not that he was but that he should be holy hath promised that he may be both faithfull and holy to worke a renouation in him and that so apparent that whosoeuer seeth him shall know him thereby Then here is another notable motiue to stirre vp a faithfull man to praier that hee may earnestly desire with Saint Paul that God would make perfâ—â—â— his image in him And that by vnderstanding knowing aright the cause and author of all things he may attaine to more noble and purer actions as well in his vnderstandidg as will That his memory sanctified may retaine euermore good and holy cogitations of God and of commendable actions whereby religion is preserued and increased That he would purifie his affections and in stead of such as are euill and corrupt excite by his holy spirit working in his word honest and vertuous motions in his heart And that the inferour powers may be obedient to the superiour that the image of God thereby repaired and the image of Satan abolished we may bee wholly gouerned through the effectuall working and the plentifull presence of Gods Spirit For as yet in this life the faithfull man hath the first fruits of the spirit and not the tenth so that the flesh liueth still in a manner fully in him The which aduantage Sathan espying by beholding grace begun and not perfected fighteth against
not good first as he is good yea essentiall goodnesse cannot but require notwithstanding our wofull fall obedience at our hands to the fulfilling of his law through the purity of nature in which he created Adam Which purity lost being also the grouÌ„d and iustice out of the which the law should be kept no man though the Lord command obedience is able to performe the same For by sinne as Kellison saith we were dispoyled of grace Suruey pag. 254. And that force of grace had we none because sinne had depriued vs of it Likewise Saint Augustine cited by M. Whittaker against Campian saith Naturall gifts were corrupted the supernaturall extinguished Insomuch that the naturall mans vnderstanding as the Scriptures auerre is so farre off from doing the office of a Generall to direct the will to the effecting that which is good That it neither perceiueth 2. Cor. 2.14 Ephes 4.18 Rom 7.14 Ibid. 6.16.17.20 nor conceiueth the things of God And the will depriued of liberty to choose that which is good and wanting the direction of reason like an vnruly Souldier transgresseth coÌ„tinually the law through disordered motions and euill desires O euill is free will without God saith S. Augustine cited by Bishop Iewel Againe Man misusing his free will Apol. pag. 16. spilt both himselfe and his will Againe What do men presume so much of the possibility of nature it is wouÌ„ded it is maÌ„gled it is troubled it is lost it behoueth truly to confesse it then stedfastly to defend it Againe Free-will once made thrall auaileth nothing but sinne But to make this yet more manifest Rhem. pag 195. that neither the will nor vnderstanding haue life in them most excellent is that place cited by Doctor Fulke from the Councell of Arausican Chap. 7. That we are not apt to thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues If any man do hold that by force of nature he can thinke any good thing which pertaineth and is expedient to eternall life or that hee can choose to be saued that is to consent to the preaching of the Gospel without illumnation and inspiration of the holy Ghost which giueth to all men the sweetnesse in consenting and beleeuing the truth He is deceiued with an hereticall spirit not vnderstanding the voice of God saying in the Gospel Without me yee can do nothing And that of the Apostle Not that we are apt of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God And touching vnderstanding the Apostle saith The naturall man vnderstaÌ„deth not those things that be of the spirit of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned So that neither the will nor vnderstanding haue heauenly life in them Therefore it is impossible to do good although the Lord commands it Neither is the Lord bound â—o woâ—k it in vs for he oweth vs nothing may leaue vs reprobate to be condemned for euer without impeachment to his goodnesse As he refused Esau when he loued Iacob Respecting them both as ill Rom. 9. Annotat. Rhem. as the Annotations vpon the Rhems teacheth and the one no lesse then the other guilty of damnation for originall sinne which was alike in them both And therefore where he might haue iustly refused both he saued of mercy one which one being as ill as void of grace as the other must therefore hold of Gods eternall purpose mercy eleâ—tion thâ—t he is prâ—fâ—rred before his brother which was â—lder then himselfe and no worse then himselfe Suruey pag. 58â— Secondly God as he is iust requireth obedience at our hands that our actions may be tryed by the diuine rule of iustice namely his law Otherwise as S. Augustine cited by Kellison teacheth No sinne should be if no law did forbid it If no sinne then no death Iâ— no death then Aâ—am should escape vnpunished contrary to Gods word which saith In the day that thou â—aâ—â—st thereof thou shâ—lt dye the death Yet God in commanding vs that which is good and in puniâ—hing vs doing euill and not good which both as Saint Augustine saith are damnable neither impeacheth hiâ— gooâ—nesse as we said before nor iustice the fault being ours that we transgresse and not Gods who created Adam and we in Adam able to performe his law as his word doth auerre his Angels witnesse and Kellison afore cited testifie Therefore if Princes for a momentary transgression may iustly punish their subiects with perpetual exile and death it selfe how much more may God that created Adam so glorious a creature both punish him for his rebellion all his posterity in him that spaâ—â—d not the Angels yet himselfe a most iust and good God According to that saying of Moses Perfect is the work of the mighty God Deut. 32.4 all his waies are iustice and iudgement God is true and without wickednesse iust and righteous is he Not cruell inhumane barbarous or tyranicall as the false Prophet Kellison like a prophane Marcionite vrgeth For as Aristotle a heathen could say Iustitiam esse hespero lâ—cifero sormosiorem Iustice is farre more beautifull then the euening and morning starre But to conclude against this most blasphemous hereticke with Saint Augustine Detrâ—ctor diabolum in lingua portat A slaunderer beareth the diuell in his tongue and yet maketh himselfe in the meane time as cunning as any Pelagian of whom Saint Augustine thus speaketh The Pelagians thinke themselues cunning men when they say That God would not command that thing that he knoweth a man is not able to do And who iâ— there that knoweth not this But therefore God commandeth vs to do some things that we are not able to do that we may vnderstand that we ought to craue of him Thus we see God is good in requiring that which is good at our hands and iust in punishing vs not performing the same And Kellison a blasphemous wretch to vrge the contrary to disgrace the truth the Lord of truth and the preachers of the same OPPOS 2. The Protestant Preachers auouching the lawes and commandements of God to be impossible giue occasion to all impiety Suruey of tâ—â— new religion Pag. 570. The Protestant preachers auerring the couenant of workes founded in nature and in the law of God impossible to be performed auouch the truth Yet teaching the true vse of the law direct the way to all piety Whereas Popish Iesuites and Priests making the law to be no law leade the way to all impiety as the sequele shall declare Although the promise of the law hath annexed condition impossible to be performed by any of the sonnes of Adam yet concerning the elect it is not without most excellent vse For first it serueth thâ— Spirit of God as an instrumentall meanes to bring them to the notion of sinne Secondly to worke a terrour in them for sinne And thirdly to be as a Schoolemâ—ister directing to Christ Concerning the
the Queene of England Iesuit Cat. lib 3. pag. 143. 144. told him that it should be a godly sacrifice to God and that Squire needed not to feare the danger of his life or person by reason of the meanes which he had opened vnto him and though the enterprise should saile yet he should change this present condition into the state of a glorious Saint and Martyr in Paradise Benedict Polimio a Iesuite caused William Parry to vndertake to murther the Queene Le Franc. Disco 37. pag. afterward a Priest to whom he imparted it disswaded him from the attempt telling him the act was damnable whereupon seeing this contrariety of opinions he repaired to Hanniball Codretto a Iesuite to be confest who told him it could not be but this Wats was an hereticke For the true Church made no question or rather the Church of Antichrist but that Kings excommunicated by the Pope were ipso facto tyrants and therefore ought to be slaine The Pope himselfe granted vnto Parry plenary indulgence and remission of all his sinnes to murther the Queene An accident of no great wonder for Popes haue bene common murtherers Yet Bellarmine in his letter to the Archpriest saith It was neuer heard of from the Churches infancy vntill this day that euer any Pope did command that a Prince though an Hereticke though an Ethnike though a persecutor should be murthered or did approue of the fact when it was done by any other But he meaneth by those that were deafe and could not heare Pope Clement the fourth stirred vp Charles the Earle of Aniou against Manfreed the King of Sicil who vanquished and killed Manfreed Pope Gregory the seuenth conspired the death of Henry the fourth to be acted in the Church whither the Emperour resorted to pray Pope Vrban the sixth sent for Charles nephew of Lodowicke King of Hungaria to aide him against Queene Iane with a promise of the kingdome of Naples which kingdome Charles appeasing put the Queene to death Pope Gregory the 9. caused the Embassadors to be slaine that came froÌ„ Fredericke the 2. to certifie him concerning the winning of IerusaleÌ„ Fredericke the 2. was poysoned after strangled by one Manfredus by the appointment of Innâ—â—ent the 4. Pope Clement the sixth sent one to Lodowicke the Emperour to giue him poyson in wine whereof he dyed But to returne to the army of Priests of these Kings of pride Iesuit Cat. lib. 3. pag. 134. 335. The Iesuites of Doway sent Peter Pan a Cooper dwelling at Spres to kill Maurice Prince of Orange and Earle of Nassaw with a promise to procure a prebend for one of his children The Prouinciall moreouer gaue him a blessing at his departure saying Friâ—nd go thy waies in peace for thou goest as an Angell vnder Gods protection and safegard Ibid. Balthâ—zaâ— Gizzard that slow the father of this prouince of Grâ—â—gâ— confessed that a regent Iesuite in the Collâ—â—ge of Trees assured him that hee had conferred with three other of his companions who tooke it wholly to be fr m God Castel a Scholer of the Iesuites resolâ—â—â—â—â—stab Henry the fourth of France in the throate with his knife Le Franc. disco pag. 34. and did in the midâ—t of his Nobles strike him iâ— the mouth beleeued the act was lawfull and meritorious Ambrose Varade did aâ—â—â—â—te Battier to go and sâ—eath hâ—â— two edged knife prepared by a Priest of purpâ—â—â— in the French Kings breâ—st bindiâ—g him thereto â—y the Scrament and assuring him by the liuing God that hee could not do a more meritorious act Ibid. pag. 31. that he should therefore â—e 〈◊〉 Angels into Paradice Gâ—â—guard the Iesuite teâ—mes the aâ—t of Iames Clement in muâ—thering Heâ—â—y â—he third with a poysoned kniâ—e which he tâ—â—ust into his belly a heroicall act The Iesuites of France terme it the gift of the holy Ghost Ibid. pag. â—3 Pope Sixtus the such in a solemne Oration made in the Consistory of Cardinals the 11. day of September 1589. compared the treason of this cursed Dominicke with the act of Eliazer and Iudeth yea a farre greater worke a rare a notable a memorable act that a Monke a religious man had slaine the vnhappy French King in the middest of his hoast an act not done without the prouidence of God and assistance of his holy Spirit Thus did the Pope glory in his bloudy Oration as Vrban the sixth with great ioy and contentment did contemplate in the bloudy sword that slew Charles who for the kingdome of Naples at his request put to death Queene Iane. Fiftly Rom. 13. the Apostle commandeth euery soule to be subiect to the higher powers Vpon which place Saint Chrysostome thus saith Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers although thou be an Apostle although thou be an Euangelist although thou be a Prophet although thou be whatsoeuer thou art For this subiection doth not ouerthrow religion S. Aug. And Saint Augustine saith Who being in his right wits would say to Kings Take you no care by whom in your kingdome the Church of your Lord is defended or oppugned let it not pertaine to you who in your kingdome will be religious or sacriligious to whom it cannot be said Let it not pertaine to you who in your kingdome will be chast or vnchast Againe A Prince serueth God otherwise as hee is a man otherwise as he is a King because he is a man he serueth God in liuing faithfully but as he is a King he serueth God by making lawes in coÌ„uenient streÌ„gth which coÌ„mand iust things and forbid the contrary As Ezechias serued God in destroying the groues and temples of idols Dauid Salomon and Ezechias commanded the Priests to execute their offices according to the law of God were obeyed Constantine Theodosius Martianus and Iustinianus made Ecclesiasticall lawes to compâ—ll Ecclesiasticall persons to do their duties called general Councels to decide questions of religion and gaue order to proceed in them according to the Scriptures They appoynted Iudges a Senate to order the Councell as Valentianus in the Councel of Chalcedon and were obeyed But contrary to all this and the Lords commandement the Church of Rome teacheth that treason in a Clergy man is no treason For the Iesuite Emanuel Sà deliuereth in expresse termes vpon the word Clericus Le Franc. â—isco 26. Page That the rebellion of a Church man against his King is not treason because he is exempted from being the Kings subiect But so they were not in the dayes of Dauid Salomon Iehosophat Ezechias and Iosias which exercised supreme gouernment in causes Ecclesiasticall and ouer the high Priests themselues yet they are in the daies of Antichrist exempted from being obedient to Princes For the Church-men saith Bellarmine are as far aboue Kings as the soule aboue the body or more truly hee might haue said as the Pope aboue the Emperour and so haue ioyned the King of pride and his army together
and is risen againe for our iustification If one dyed for all saith Saint Bernard in his 190 Epistle to Innocent Bishop of Rome then all were lead that so the satisfaction of one might be imputed to all euen as that one person bare the sinne of all No maâ— saith Kellison citing Saint Iohn hath greater charâ—ty then this to dye for his friend and especially for his enemy And this also extolleth Christs power most highly who by death ouercame death yea sinne also and condemnation Here it plainly appeareth by Kellisons owne words that sinne with the guilt and punishment is taken away by Christ and we deliuered fron all sin both originall and actuall veniall and mortall à culpa poena that is from the fault and punishment due to the same as the Annotations vpon the Rhems acknowledgeth and the very Canon law likewise confesseth 1. Ioh. 1. annot De consec 4 cap. 8. 2. Cor. 5.2 Rhem. pag. 570. in teaching that the Son God tooke vpon him the flesh of sinne that is to say sinfull flesh and the punishment he being without fault that so in the flesh of sin both the fault might be satisfied and the punishment also Nay more that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him For he hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne saith the Apostle that wee should be made the righteousnesse of God in him Vpon which place Saint Chrysostome cited by Doctor Fulke saith that we should be made the iustice of God in him what speech what mind can set forth these things worthily for him that was iust he made a sinner that he might make sinners iust But rather he said not so but that which was much more for he named not the quality but the essence he said not a sinner but sinne it selfe not onely him which sinned not but him which knew no sinne that we might be made he said not iust but iustice it selfe and the iustice of God For this is the iustice of God when iustification commeth not of workes seeing it is necessary that no spot be found but by grace by this meanes all sinne cleane vanisheth away In the meane time he suffereth them not to be extolled seeing God performeth all and sheweth the greatnesse of the giuer in that the former iustice was of the law and of works but this is the iustice of God Primasius vpon this text saith God the Father made his Sonne sinne for vs that is a sacrifice 〈◊〉 sinne The sacrifice offered for sinne in the law was called sinne although it did not sinne at all as it is written And he shall lay his hand vpon the head of his sinne c. By the bloud of these sacrifices that bloud which was shed for vs was prefigured for Christ being offered for our sinnes was called by the name of sinne that we might be made the iustice of God in him not in vs. Theodoret vpon this text saith That when he was free from sinne he suffered the death of sinners that he might loose theâ— sinne of men and being called that which we were hee made vs that which he was for he gaue vs the riches of his iustice Thus it doth appeare that Christ hath not onely taken away the paine and punishment of sinne but also merited a sempiternall righteousnes for vs which is as an Ancient saith the very roote of life Otherwise what would become of that faith which the Annotations vpon the Rhems speaketh of that reacheth to the life to come Rom. 10. annot making man assured of such articles as concerne the same As of Christs coming downe to be incarnate of his descending to hell of his resurrection ascension and returne againe to be glorified by which actions we be pardoned iustified and saued as by the law we could neuer be In vaine would our faith be saith the Apostle if Christ was not risen iustified from our sins we in him 1. Cor. 15. â—7 for theÌ„ we were yet in our sins that is guilty before God Therefore because Christ is risen we are no longer in our sinnes that is we are in very deed absolued from them and the punishment due for them Being thus compassed about with a cloud of witnesses concerning the perfect redemption of man who can but behold our King comming out of his sepulcher as out of a palace leading death in chains and the Prince of death fast bound in fetters of iron and with all his elect traine following him saying O death where is thy sting O graue Ibid. 15.55 56. where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God that hath giuen vs victory in our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue redemption through his bloud Eph. 1.7 euen the forgiuenesse of our sinnes according to his rich grace Secondly forasmuch as that it standeth not with Christs Kingly power to begin and not to accomplish his subiects happinesse hee in his all-seeing wisdome hath merited the Spirit of his Father for vs through the effectuall working power whereof as by his diuine finger he writeth his law in our minds and hearts according to his promise So that the elect may say together with their Sauiour Heb. 8. Psal 40.8 I desired to do thy will ô my God I am ready to do it yea thy law is within my heart That is all knowledge to the performaÌ„ce of thy law which the naturall man cannot attaine vnto vnlesse God inlighteneth his vnderstanding to discerne betweene obiects things set before it in the holy Scriptures Againe Christ through the effectuall working of his Spirit prepareth the heart by making it soft and tender to will those things that are pleasing to God yea to do the will of God 1 Thes 4.3 whose will it is that we should be holy and cleane When he hath thus done he sitteth in the heart of man working both the will and the deed according to his good pleasure to the perfecâ— repairing of the Image of God in him God sittetâ— saith an Ancient in the heart of man like a King in 〈◊〉 palace in his word like a King in his Councell in hiâ— Church like a Generall in his army in his throne like a conquerour in his triumph Hee sate in the heart of Matthew whom of a Publican and notable sinner he made an Apostle and Euangelist He stirred such a course in the heart of Paul that of a cruell persecutor he became a faithfull and zealous Preacher Yea though Christ doth repaire that which we haue losâ— by Adams transgression according to the saying oâ— the Councell of Arausicanum chap. 21. Nature by Adam lost by Christ is repaired yet Kellison doth taxe his passion with this false imputation to egge vs forward to all vice to open a wide gappe to all licencious lilibertie and iniquitie But if a Pope with Bonifacâ— the eighth or Clement the sixth
from sinners and made higher then the heauens hath no neede dayly as those Priests first for his owne sins then for the peoples to offer sacrifice For this he did once for all in offering himselfe That which they did daily and vnsufficiently in offering the sacrifice of beasts Christ did once and perfectly in offering himselfe From hence appeareth first Reuel 1.5 the excellency of his loue Secondly the excellency of his mediatorship The excellency of his loue who loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud What greater proofe can there bee of his loue then this that of tender compassion and loue towards vs as a most mercifull and excellent high Priest he offered vp himselfe in sacrifice euen a slaine and bloudy sacrifice for the sins of the world And so with his bloud once powred forth and once offered hath wâ—shed away all our sinâ— and reconciled vs to his Father Secondly insueth as a fruit of his passion the excellency of his mediatorship But now our Priest hath obtained saith the Apostle a more excellent office in as much as hee is the mediator of a better Testament which was made vpon better promises namely the remission of sinnes perfected by his death and sufferings Ier. 31. Heb. 1.16 For I will be mercifull vnto their vnrighteousnesse and I will remember their sinnes and iniquities no more saith Iehouah that made the Testament or couenant concerning the remission of sins And by his death confirmed the same Therefore he forgaue sinnes saith Chrysostome when he gaue the testament by his sacrifice If therefore he forgaue sins by one sacrifice now there is no need of a second Theodoret where there is remission of these things Now there is no oblation for sinne for it is superfluous after remission is giuen And he promised saying Their sinnes and iniquites I will remember no more Which promise of God Rom. 4.5 is euery day more and more performed in the iustification of the vngodly man who is iustified by faith in Christ by hauing his righteousnesse imputed vnto him that hath none of his owne The second vse consisteth in the Kingly dignity of our Sauiour who being exalted and placed in tâ—e highest degree of honour giueth as he hath receiued Psal 68.8 Eâ—h 4.8 gifts for men By the merit of his manhood gifts vnto men through the power of his God-head the gift of the holy Ghost 1. Ioh. 4.13 The gift of grace Rom. 5.15 The gift of faith Ephes 2.8 The gift of righteousnesse Rom. 5.17 The gift of life Rom. 6.23 with other graces infinite decking vs fit for the bridegroome Since then saith the Apostle that he by the right hand of God hath bene exalted and hath receiued of his Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you see and heare As God did beautifie the soules of the Apostles with supernaturall knowledge making them of Fisher-men Preachers and to speake as the Spirit gaue them vtterance to euery one in his owne language So he doth likewise through the same spirit Rom. 10.17 Eph â—1 18 Rom. 8.2 Gal 3.13 open the hearts of the hearers of his word that he may sow the seed of immortality namely the Gospel in them To the bringing forth of faith through the which the holy Ghost applyeth the benefites of Christs passion To the begetting the Church anew lost in Adam and to the reëdifying of it dayly more and more 1. Pet. 1. 1. Cor. 6. Ioh. 6. 1. 1. Cor. 10. 12. Ephes 2. vntill it come to the full period of perfection For Christ by the holy Ghost doth sprinckle vs with his bloud doth make vs his members doth feed vs with himselfe doth make vs drinke of himselfe and doth build vs vpon himselfe that we may be complet in him which is the head of all Principality and Power How then commeth it to passe that Christs sacrifice is not sufficient to vphold religion and the worship of God Kellison telleth vs the reason is If Christ neuer offered any other sacrifice Pag. 291. then that of the crosse then is he not a perpetuall Priest because hee hath no sacrifice which either by himselfe or by his Ministers is perpetually offered Then it may be of them demanded wherein the eternall Priest-hood of Christ consisteth Heb. 7. annot The Annotation vpon the Rhems telleth vs That Christ is not called a Priest for euer onely for that his person is eternall or for that he sitteth on the right hand of God and perpetually prayeth and maketh intercession for vs or for that the effect of his death is euerlasting For all this proueth not in proper signification that his Priesthood is euerlasting and perpetual But that Christs eternall Priest-hood consisteth in the perpetuall sacrifice of his body and bloud in the Church Yet by an vnbloudy sacrifice Pag. 144. pag 614. pag. 288. Pag. 387. continually to be offered as Kellison saith not immediatly from Christ the high Priest but onely by his vnder and virgin like Priests For the worship of God and exercise in religion which sacrifice in the Masse so offered is a most pleasing and cleane sacrifice not onely in respect of the outward forme which is vnbloudy but also in respect of the most chast pure and virgin like flesh and bloud of Christ Now then seeing Christs sacrifice as the Annotation vpon the Rhems teacheth consisteth in the perpetuall sacrifice of his body and bloud in the Church Then it consisteth not in that sacrifice Kellison speaketh of because it is vnbloudy without bloud therefore without profite For without shedding of bloud is no remission Heb. 9.22 If Christs perpetuall Priest-hood consisted in that vnbloudy sacrifice then should Christs perpetuall Priest-hood surcease to be when that should surcea so to be offered But seeing a sacrifice offered by an vnder Priest is so powerfull to vphold religion and the worship of God which the sacrifice of Christ cannot Let vs behold this sacrifice so highly commended and so maiestically offered by virgin-like Priests And first the excellency of the Priests that maketh and offereth it For though they doe stile themselues vnder Priests as the Pope stileth himselfe Seruus seruorum The seruant of seruants yet they challenge notwithstanding with him supreame power ouer the Creator of all things To the manifestation hereof we are first to consider the excellency of the Priest in the consecration They tell vs that in their handes Stella Clericorum as it were in the virgins wombe the Sonne of God is incarnated and taketh flesh That in their consecration they are aboue the blessed mother of Christ For she caused Christ to come into her virgin like wombe with eight words Ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum whereas their Priests make him come into the hoast with fiue words onely that is to say Hoc est enim corpus meum That they are more higher in authority then
be put in as to cause the wine to loose his colour the consecration wereof none effect Fourthly we are to search the Scriptures Page 386. whether the bread may be consecrated and made a God or no Kellison saith it may For the sacrifice of the Masse saith he is the sacrifice which Christ offered at his last Supper when taking bread and wine into his hands he blessed them and by blessing turning them into his sacred body and bloud he told his Disciples that it was his body and bloud which he gaue for them If Christ consecrated the bread and wine when he blessed it where are the wordes of consecration Seeing there is none named but a testimony that he gaue thankes If not when he blessed the bread It is not like it was done after as they would haue it by vertue of these words Hoc est enim corpus meum namely after his Disciples had receiued it who being alwaies ready to obay the Lords command did take when Christ commanded them to take and did eate when he commanded them to eate which both went before he said this is my body There be words of God nominated in the first of Genesis wherby God made al the world Yet though we haue the words of the Creation a new creature we cannot make much lesse without words of consecration the Creator of all things Who will not giue his glory to a creature that is he will not be made by a creature a worke farre excelling all his workes for a man to make his Creator Isay 43. These things breifly considered how can Kellison proue that Christ consecrated the bread when he changed not the substance but the vse Which created for a temporall life to feed the body is changed by the Omnipotency of the word which is Christ to feed the soule to eternall life 1. Cor. 11.26 Luke 22.18 And that he changed not the substance but the vse it is manifest by the words of the Apostle where it is called bread after the words of consecration and the wine the bloud of grape Both liuely representing the death of our Sauiour as the Annotation vpon the Rhems confesseth The bread the body of Christ with the bloud poured out the wine Luk. 22. annot Iohn 6 annot the bloud powred or shed out of the body Therefore the Masse Priest should alwaies receiue both kinds by their owne confession because he must liuely expresse the passion of Christ and the separation of his bloud from his body Which cannot be done by a round cake or vnbloudy sacrifice For if it could he needed not both to consecrate and receiue boâ—â— kinds as he is commanded But Kellison citing the speech of our Sauiour namely Your fathers did eate Manna and did die further vrgeth If it be true saith he that the blessed Eucharist is onely a signe of Christ and his body and bloud Then I demand of our Aduersary Page 706. with what shew of truth Christ would preferre it before Manna Why should Christs bread giue life rather then Manna seeing that Manna signified Christ who is the bread as well as the Eucharist Our Sauiour spake in that place of such fathers that eate the signe and not the thing signified that is Manna to fill their bellies without looking to Christ the true life of the soule 1. Cor. 10.3 Whereas the Apostle maketh mention of fathers that eate the same spirituall meate that we do that is not onely Manna the signe as they did whom Christ speaketh of but also by faith feed on Christ the spirituall meate as we do Saint Augustine saith Whosoeuer vnderstood Christ in Manna did eate the same spirtuall meat that we do But whosoeuer sought onely to fill their bellies with Manna which were the fathers of the vnfaithfull they haue eaten and are dead So also they did drinke of the same spirituall drinke that we do but spirituall drinke that is which was receiued by faith not which was drunke in with the body Againe you shall not eate the body which you see nor drinke that bloud which shall be shed of them that crucifie me but I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacrament which being spiritually vnderstood shall giue you life Words which are no other but as witnessing signes do change the sound by times when the selfe same faith abideth to the â—â—ting of the same spirituall meate and to the drinking of the same spirituall drinke But to answere the question wherein it is demanded why should Christs bread giue life rather then Manna We may answere Christs bread as the creature of God can giue no more life then Manna For then Iudas might haue bene saued as well as the rest of the Disciples For he eate the bread of the Lord though not bread the Lord. As S. Augustine cited by M. Caluin saith But if Kellison had asked why Christ the true bread of life should giuâ— life rather then Manna which was but as a witnessing signe It might easily haue bene answered seeing Christs is life yea the fountaine of life it selfe and bestoweth it by the effectuall working of his holy Spirit Rom. 8.10.11 vpon his members in whom he dwelleth And therefore may easily giue it being the Creator when the creature cannot But this as S. Augustine speaketh is a miserable bondage of the soule to take the signes in stead of the things that be signifiâ—â— Contrary to the counsell of S. Chrysostome Let vs not confound saith he the creature and the creator both together lest it be said of vs They haue honoured a creature more then their maker Kellison to proue a reall presence a round cake to be God citeth also this saying of our Sauiour Except you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you Christ who with his sanctified mouth spake these words also said And this is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the Son and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life Againe whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life Al which words being true it must needs follow that to eate is to beleeue in him For if these words might be vnderstanded otherwise Then a man might haue euerlasting life without the eating of Christs flesh and drinking his bloud which is against Christs expresse wordes Ioh. 6.53 who saith Except you eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Or else we must needs say that a man eating may be saued not beleeuing in Christ which is contrary also to the written word which saith He that beleeueth not is condemned already Ioh. 3.18 Therefore of necessity to beleeue in Christ and to eate him is al one Crede manducasti saith S. Aug. Beleeue and thou hast eaten If it were literally to be vnderstood of Christs reall presence Then first of all Christ should be in a